Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to topical treatment of acne. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris with antibiotics of the lincomycin family.
Acne is the name commonly applied to any inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands; also acne vulgaris. Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory disorder of the skin first appearing in early adolescence. Endocrinological factors are thought to be of prime importance in producing a hyperactivity of the sebaceous glands which leads to the condition. Acne lesions contain no pathogenic organisms, despite the presence of pus. Sebum, a liquid secreted by the sebaceous glands, is thought to contain an irritant factor that results in the production of comedones which form an integral part of the disease. Corynebacterium acnes, ordinarily a member of the normal flora of the skin, is found in quantity in some acne lesions. Some observers believe that C. acnes plays a part in the pathogenesis of the acne lesion. For example, it is known that oral administration of antibiotics such as tetracycline reduce the population of C. acnes in the skin.
Various therapeutic methods for treating acne have been attempted including topical antibacterials, e.g. hexachlorophene, and systemic antibiotics such as tetracycline and clindamycin. While the systemic antibiotic treatment have been effective, the topical antibacterial treatments have not been effective.
It has long been known that systemic treatment of acne is not preferred because of side effects resulting from saturation of the entire body with antibiotics and the fact that only the affected skin need be treated. However, despite a long-felt need for a topical treatment for acne, antibiotics generally have been used only sytemically to treat acne because it was not heretofore believed that antibiotics could be used effectively in the topical treatment of acne.